


Leap of Faith

by i_hate_everything_except_fandoms



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff, Graham being concerned, Joe in hospital, M/M, inner thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_hate_everything_except_fandoms/pseuds/i_hate_everything_except_fandoms
Summary: Takes place on the 03/05/18 after Joe jumped off the quarry and was taken to hospital.The scene that we should've had between Joe and Graham.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've had this in the works for ages and I've only got around to finishing it now so I hope it's okay.

"How long have you been standing there?" Joe asked.

He had just come round having just had surgery after he'd jumped off that quarry into the water. What he had come round to see, however, was Graham, stood by his bed; a concerned expression on his face.

"A while," came Graham's vague reply, "how are you feeling?"

"A bit rough," Joe admitted.

Graham shifted from one foot to another, still looking worried.

"I'll be fine, Graham," Joe added.

"I... know. I just... worry about you sometimes."

Graham had never felt this uncertain before; he was never open about his feelings. They were always locked in a box, one that was rarely opened. He knew that it was undeniable that he cared about Joe; it was obvious. He wouldn't stay with him through thick and thin if he didn't.

The extent of Graham's love for him, however, was something he kept secret. It was paternal, of course it was, but at the same time, his feelings for the young man had naturally tumbled into something else. They had become romantic. _Sexual_. And that's where the problem was because he _knew_  that people wouldn't accept it. He didn't even accept it himself - not entirely, anway. But Joe was his rock and he had pieced him back together when he was broken, when he was just a shell of a man, going through life with nothing to live for. Joe had given him a reason to live and that reason was _him_. So Graham loved him. God, did he love him.

Joe was shocked; he had never expected to hear Graham sound uncertain, to hear him sound actually scared. Graham was always the strong one - the one who was certain of everything and the one who had been his rock since he was fifteen. Joe had always expected that he'd be completely unlovable, that he'd never find anyone to care about him, yet somehow, Graham _cared_. He truly cared. 

Joe wondered why. He wondered whether Graham could possibly feel the same about him as he did about the older man.

It was Graham who broke the silence, shaking Joe out of his deep thoughts.

"You should get some rest. I can go home and get you some clothes, if you'd like?"

"Yes," Joe said, clearing his throat, "that'd be great. Thank you, Graham."

Graham nodded as he turned to leave. Before exiting the room, he added,

"Oh, and when they discharge you, I'm coming to pick you up."

Joe opened his mouth to protest but Graham shut him down with two words.

"No arguments."

"Okay, fine. Thank you."

"Mmmm," was Graham's only reply, before he left Joe's room.

On his way out, he spoke to a couple of nurses to check that Joe really was going to be okay and to thank them for what they'd done.

When he reached his car, he sat in it for a few minutes, attempting to calm himself down.

 _'Only Joe would jump off a fucking quarry to impress his half brother,'_ Graham thought - his way of trying to be angry at Joe instead of being terrified of what could've happened.

Rubbing a hand over his face, his turned the ignition of the car and headed back to Home Farm.

Joe watched Graham's car pull out of the car park from the window of his hospital room. Biting his lip, he walked back to his bed.

He wished that Graham had stayed for longer, that they'd just been able to have a normal conversation like they could when they were at home, just the two of them.

Joe understood it, though. He knew that Graham struggled to talk to him when there was something on his mind and he didn't blame him for it.

As this thought crossed his mind, Debbie walked into his room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graham comes to pick Joe up from the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is - chapter two. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Joe sat on the edge of his bed, clothes packed in a bag. He was being discharged that day and couldn't wait to go home as he desperately wanted to snuggle up on the sofa and watch TV with Graham. He'd texted Graham earlier to tell him to pick him up at 11:00.

Joe checked his watch - 10:40. Sighing, he looked back down at the floor.

_'God, I hope he's here early.'_

Graham pulled up in the car park at exactly 11:00 - forever timed to perfection. Climbing out of the car, he walked up to Joe's hospital room, knowing the way without even having to think about it anymore.

He'd visited Joe periodically over the past day that he'd been kept in hospital, not wanting to let him out of his sight for too long in case anything changed.

Joe basically jumped up off his bed when Graham entered the room at long last (sure, it was 11:00, which is when Joe had told him to pick him up but he felt like he'd been waiting for _ages_ ).

"Woah," Graham said, finding himself chuckling at Joe's enthusiasm to leave, "calm down, Joe. You'd think that you'd been in a prison for a day, not a hospital."

"Hospitals feel like prisons," Joe replied, shrugging.

"Hmmm. Well, let's get out of here, shall we?"

"God, yes," Joe practically yelled, grabbing his bag.

Graham tutted, taking Joe's bag off him, stating, "You need to take it easy, Joe."

"Well, I suppose I do pay you to do things for me," he expressed, his voice taking on a sing-song tone.

Graham glanced at him, giving him a look that said, _'You know that I don't care about the money.'_

Joe caught his eye.

_'I know.'_

They arrived back at Home Farm fairly quickly. The ride back had been reasonably quiet but their silences were always comfortable, so neither of them particularly minded.

"So," Graham started as he unlocked the door, "considering the fact that the doctors have told you that you need to rest, what are you going to do today?"

"You know what, I fancy lying down on the sofa and just watching TV," Joe announced, recalling his thoughts from earlier. "Care to join me, Graham?"

"I do have work that I need to-"

"Please..."

When Joe looked at him like that with his beautiful baby blue eyes, Graham knew that he couldn't say no.

"Alright," he relented. "What do you want to watch?"

\- - - - - 

Joe and Graham sat on the sofa together, their TV playing American Horror Story. Graham noticed that Joe kept nearly falling asleep next to him; he obviously hadn't slept very well in the hospital. Graham grabbed the remote, pausing the TV. Joe immediately seemed more awake as he began paying more attention to what was going on around him. He glanced over at Graham.

"Why did you pause it?" He asked.

"Because you are nearly falling asleep sat here." Graham responded.

"No, I'm not," Joe denied, pouting slightly.

"So you're saying that you're not tired?" Graham questioned.

"Well, not exactly..." Joe tried.

"Look... you need rest, Joe."

"I know, but..." Joe paused, seeming hesitant.

"But?" Graham pressed gently.

"I'd rather stay here and watch TV with you," he admitted.

Graham felt himself soften slightly; Joe being vulnerable around him always hit his soft spot.

"Okay, but if you fall asleep here you're going to hurt your neck," Graham warned.

"Not if I use you as a pillow," Joe pointed out, scooting closer to Graham.

Graham felt himself tense for a moment but as Joe rested his head on Graham's chest, he relaxed. He lifted his legs up onto the sofa so that they were both lying down. Unpausing the TV, Graham wondered how long it would be before Joe fell asleep.

It turned out that Graham's question was answered between 5 and 10 minutes after he had asked it, when he felt Joe's breathing become more peaceful - a sure sign that he was sleeping. Looking down, it was confirmed that that was the case. Joe was sleeping soundly on Graham's chest, a small smile on his face. Smiling to himself, Graham reached for the TV remote to turn it off.

Shortly after doing so, Graham found himself also drifting off to sleep. As sleep took hold of his body, he realised that this was the most content he'd felt in a long time and that, despite how scared he'd been for Joe's life the previous day, he wouldn't change any of it for the world. Because without Joe, he'd be nothing. He didn't ever want to be nothing again and right now, Joe was making him feel like everything.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you guys liked this! If you want another chapter, then please tell me in the comments below. Thanks guys!


End file.
